The Inspiration of Nature

 I believe that nature brings us the greatest inspiration. It drives us to become something more than what we are. Nature can range from a simple tree to a large, endless canyon. Nature creates majestic sites in which we base our artwork off of today. It is not something that can be easily recreated, and therefore should be preserved.

 Every year, my family visits a location known as Heber Springs, AR. This location is a superior example of nature. It consists of mountains, and a crystal clear lake. My family has always visited this location because of its majestic sites, and preserved wilderness. We usually make it our number one priority to visit the river known as the Little Red River. It is a great spot to fish, and it is also a very natural location. The water is as clear as a crystal glass, and the trees are greener than the greenest grass in the summer.

As we fished we would be secluded to the noises of the wild. The sound of water rushing by is always accompanied by the occasional caw of a hawk flying above us. When in nature you find yourself. You are given time to witness that you are a part of something bigger. You are a part of a process that involves every living thing on this planet. This process is known as life.

After fishing, we would embark on a major hiking expedition up a local mountain. The trip would begin early in the morning and end just before the night falls. This mountain is very steep and requires a lot of energy to conquer. While on the journey we encounter many wild animals. These include deer, squirrels, birds, and even chipmunks. These animals remind me of the lives we are damaging with our excessive pollution. As we climb higher up the mountain, we begin to become more secluded from civilization. Once at the top you have this amazing view of the world. The buildings are like small building blocks and you can see across the whole location.

These moments should be available to everyone, and they should be preserved. I believe that we can do this by reducing pollution. I want to preserve my inspiration. Nature is renewable, but it takes a long time to return. Every tree we cut, every river we pollute, is another inspiration that takes time to return. I believe that we should put all efforts into saving my inspiration.

Double-Chocolate Brownie Bites

Ingredients

 1 ½  cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

¾  teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon coarse salt

1 stick unsalted butter

½ cup honey

7 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (1 ½ cups)

¼ cup granulated sugar

Preparation

                Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Once this is done, Beat the honey, butter, and brown sugar in with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Reduce speed to low once the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Be sure not to eat all of the batter while doing this.

                My grandmother always let my brother and I do this step. Although it always resulted in a complete mess, it also resulted in extreme joy. The only thing there was to worry about was us eating the batter before it could be cooked. Most times we had almost eaten the whole bowl when my grandmother would walk in. Although she would be furious because of the time and effort she put into making it, but she always thought it was hilarious to see my brother covered in batter. “ You two almost did it again.”, she would say as she was laughing. We would always respond with an apology and a promise that we would not do it again, but we all knew that was not true.

                Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until well combined. After the ingredients are well combined, mix in the chocolate. This job was always given to my little sister. She always ended up meeting the same fate we had. After finishing, she would be covered with the flour and chocolate that she was supposed to add to the mixture. Given the fact that she is only two, her coordination is not as good as it should be when adding the ingredients. When she would try to pour in the flour, she would always miss and giggle when it made a huge mess. By the end of this process my little sister would be covered in chocolated like a little chocolate truffel.

                The next step is to refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes. Then drop heaping spoonfuls into granulated sugar. Transfer to baking sheets, spacing aabout one inch apart. Once this is done, put the brownies in the oven, and bake for nine minutes. Then finally removethe brownies from the oven and let them cool.

                This final step was always my grandmother’s duty. We always tended to make these around winter time, the refigeration process reminds  me of this. As she would finish up the recipe, we would go outside, and play basketball and football until the brownies were ready. My cousins and I always tended to make teams of 7 vs. 7 in football making the game much more exciting than just throwing the ball. As we would finish up the game we would here my grandmother calling us in to eat. The delicious deset would be enjoyed by the entire family.

The Fallen Angel

Have you ever wished that you had your own angel?  If so, how would you treat the angel if your wish was granted? In a short story titled “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a family in poverty receives a very rare visitor from the heavens. This visitor is an old man which is an angel that has wings and speaks in a strange dialect. Although this family receives an amazing visitor, they do not treat him like a proper guest. I do not believe treating your guest to horrible conditions is the right thing to do even if the guest is unusual. I believe the old man should have received better conditions even if the family was in poverty.      

The man was given very poor living conditions. For example, Pelayo locks the man in a chicken’s coop. Along with poor living conditions, the guest received great disrespect. The family turned the man into a public attraction, charging money to witness his unusual deformities. The man was also malnourished and mistreated by the crowd. The crowd  does this the man by burning him with an iron, and yelling at him so that he would move. After the fame, the man receives no gratitude from the family for helping them overcome poverty. The man did not exist to the family after he was no longer an attraction. The family went on with their lives until one day the man began to regain his ability to fly. He had to hide his wings from the family as they grew because he was like the family’s prisoner. The man eventually regained his ability to fly. The rehabilitated guest immediately left the place immediately with no goodbyes to his improper hosts.       

Although the man was of an unknown origin, the family should have at the least greeted the man properly. Instead, the family made no attempt to communicate with the angel. I believe you should always treat your guest with respect and proper conditions.

WORKS CITED: García, Márquez Gabriel. Very Old Man with Enormous Wings. Print.

Fresh President Equals Fresh Nation

             With global warming, the world is getting hotter and hotter. Our nation’s use of fossil fuels has caused this idea to effect the world drastically. Without a proper leader our nation could not just end due to economic reasons, but to reasons caused by the environment. In Miles Grant’s article titled “Obama Climate Plan a Key Milestone on Path to Secure Climate Future”, this idea is extremely emphasized. Grant claims that Obama is fulfilling his promises to the nation by attempting to preserve it for future generations. Upon reading this article I ask myself How is Obama helping the nation, and Why does this make him such a good president?

            “President Obama is following through on his pledge to act and this is an important step in the journey to end industrial carbon pollution,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. This quote reveals that Obama is trying to preserve the Earth by cutting down on pollution caused by industry. Obama is also trying to save the nation by switching to cleaner energy sources. Schweiger also said, ”America’s economy is growing at a time when our carbon emissions are falling.” This means that Obama is not only benefiting the nation though the environment, but also through the economy.

            I think that Obama is an awesome president that will lead this nation to victory. As Schweiger says in his quote above, Obama is following through on his promises. These acts show that Obama cares about our nation and not just for himself. If he did not care about the nation, he would let it go down in flames. With his actions, Obama benefits the nation both environmentally and economically. He cares about the citizens of the United States of America.

WORKS CITED: Grant, Miles. "Obama Climate Plan a Key Milestone on Path to Secure Climate Future." - National Wildlife Federation. NWF, 25 June 2013. Web. 17 July 2013.

URL: http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/Media-Center/News-by-Topic/Global-Warming/2013/06-25-13-Obama-Climate-Plan-Key-Milestone-Path-to-Secure-Climate-Future.aspx

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